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With the lunar new year celebrations having come to a close and the Chinese calendar calling 4712 the year of the “small four-legged ruminant” animal (could be lamb, ram, goat, or even gazelle), we’re counting our blessings and tearing down the kitchen after a week’s cooking. For us, if the superstition comes to pass and the year is shaped by how we spent its first days, ours will be a year of dumplings and media appearances. CBC Ottawa Morning: First, we recorded a segment for the morning radio show we wake up to every day,... | Continue reading article

Entering the third month of 2015, it’s a good chance for me to take a step back and see how I’m doing with my new year resolutions. While I may not have a list stuck to the fridge door or on my bulletin board, I do keep a mental checklist of my goals: drink more water, consume less sugar, lose five pounds, and eat healthier. How am I doing so far? I would like to think I’m not doing too badly. I’ve gotten used to carrying a water bottle in my bag and, with the... | Continue reading article

According to the Lunar calendar, New Year arrives today, February 19, 2015 on the Gregorian calendar. That is, while we in the western world celebrated the new year two months ago, many members of the world’s Asian communities will feast this week. According to the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which employs the 10 “Heavenly” Stem and 12 “Earthly” Branch counting system (days, months, year), the coming year (4712) is that of a female wood “sheep.” Though, the specific Chinese word or character for the astrological “sign” can also mean “goat” or “ram.” [Happy "small four-legged ruminant... | Continue reading article

Chatting with Paul Shevsky, head bartender at Stephen Beckta’s newly re-visioned flagship restaurant, the eponymously named Dining and Wine, we learned it’s Valentine’s “weekend.” While the wine bar at the rear of the lovingly restored Grant House on Elgin Street saw the usual traffic from people arriving early for their reservations, it remained largely empty. Conversely, the restaurant’s proper dining rooms were busy. Every “fine dining” table was reserved. The few couples that dropped in to claim the first-come first-served tables by the bar ordered drinks and bar bites. The bar area is the only... | Continue reading article

So, the owner and operator of online retailer FoodiePages, Erin Maynes and her communications manager Deanna Berry issued another challenge: Publish a new recipe to your blog of an brunch worthy dish along with a photo by February 20th and mention ‘FoodiePages CHEF’S BOX Challenge’. FoodiePages will review submitted recipes for completeness and David Gunawan will select a winning recipe by February 28th based on creativity and simplicity for our home audience (note: you must reside in Canada to participate). And, one of the new-to-our-blog recipes we developed for the now defunct Anyday Magic Cream... | Continue reading article

A number of months ago, the owner and operator of online retailer FoodiePages, Erin Maynes, asked us to participate as testers in her “Food Explorer” program. FoodiePages is an online shop that lets you order small batch goods made by artisan producers from across Canada. Imagine being able to peruse goods from craft and farmers’ markets, be they food, kitchen gear, or wine, any hour of the day. Maynes has worked hard to establish her large network of vendors, representing every province. [Most are centralized around eastern Canada, however.] What we find innovative are the... | Continue reading article

Tucked away in a one-storey building along Bank Street in Old Ottawa South is the city’s newest entry onto the dining scene: Belmont Snack & Liquor. Once the home of Carmen’s Veranda (1169 Bank St.), Belmont threw its doors open to the public this past Wednesday evening after a soft opening for family and friends over the weekend. Having snagged an invite, a good friend urged me to join him for dinner last Saturday. Needless to say, I did not need any convincing as I love checking out new restaurants. Sadly for Don, he was... | Continue reading article

Sooo, I really should be working on posts with which to re-launch foodiePrints: something on Stephen Beckta opening his eponymous flagship restaurant anew; something on a challenge by foodiePages to re-make a classic dish (we chose turkey dinner); something on the two recipes we submitted to Dairy Farmers of Canada; and a long something on short ribs, mostly because New York chef David Chang really dislikes turkey and suggests people make his mom’s galbi jjim when the occasion calls for roasting the “big dumb bird.” All this said, Jenn and I also spent the summer... | Continue reading article